The Firebrand

by S. R. Crockett

  CHAPTER XXIV

  HOW TO BECOME A SOLDIER

  The change in the aspect of affairs would have made a greater differenceto most companies of adventurers than it did to that of which MasterRollo Blair of Blair Castle in the shire of Fife was the leader. In themorning they had all risen with the expectation of being shot with thesun-rising. At ten of the clock they were speeding southward on goodhorses, holding acknowledged rank and position in the army of the onlyCatholic and religious sovereign.

  But they were a philosophic quartette. Rollo drew in the morning air andblew it back again through his nostrils without thinking much of hownearly he had come to kissing the brown earth of Luis Fernandez's gardenwith a dozen bullets through his heart. Mortimer meditated somewhatsulkily upon his lost onions, rustling pleasantly back there in the cool_patio_ of the nunnery. Etienne sorrowed for his latest love idyllruthlessly cut short, and as to El Sarria, he thought of nothing savethat Dolores had come back to him and that he had yet to reckon with theFernandez family. The next time he would attend to the whole matterhimself, and there would be no mistakes.

  It was not without sadness that Rollo looked his last on the whitewalls of the convent of the Holy Innocents. He was glad indeed to haveplaced Dolores in safety--glad that she and her child were together, andthat the good sisters were responsible for them. Between them the fourhad made up a purse to be sent by Concha to the Mother Superior, to beapplied for the behoof of her guests till the better days should come,and Ramon Garcia be able to claim his wife and first-born son.

  But Concha had refused point-blank.

  "The babe came through the wicket. The mother arrived by night, afugitive asking pity, like the Virgin fleeing down to Egypt in thepictures," said Concha. "The convent needs no alms, nor does the LadySuperior sell her help. Keep the money, lads. If I am not a fool youwill need it more than the sisterhood of the Holy Innocents before youcome to your journey's end."

  And with that she blew them each a dainty kiss, distinguishing no oneabove the other, dropped a curtsey to the general, whose eyes followedher with more than usual interest, leaped on her white mare and rodeoff, attended by La Giralda riding astride like a man, in the samefashion in which she had arrived.

  So little Concha was gone from his sight, and duty loomed up suddenlygaunt and void of interest before Rollo. To risk his life was nothing.When he got nearer to the goal, his blood would rise, that he knew. Tocapture a queen and a regent at one coup, to upset a government, tobring a desolating war to an end--these were all in the day's work. Butwhy, in the name of all that was sanest and most practical, did hisheart feel like lead within him and his new dignity turn to Dead Seaashes in his mouth?

  It was not long before Cabrera dropped back, that he might talk overways and means with the young colonel. It was clear that the _guerrilla_chieftain did not believe greatly in the project.

  "I do not understand all this," he said; "it is not my way. What have weto do with taking women and children prisoners? Let us have no truck,barter, or exchange with the government at Madrid except at the point ofthe bayonet. That is my way of it, and if my advice had been takenbefore, my master would at this moment have been in the royal palace ofhis ancestors. But these secret embassies in the hands offoreigners--what good can come of them?"

  Rollo explained such things as the Abbot of Montblanch had made clear tohim--namely, that the Regent and her daughter were by no means averse toHoly Church, nor yet eager to keep the true King out of his own. But,they were in the power of unscrupulous men--Mendizabal, Linares, andothers, who for their own ends published edicts and compelled the ladiesto sign them. If they were captured and sequestered for their own good,the ministry would break down and Don Carlos would reign undisturbed.

  Rollo thought the exposition a marvel of clearness and point. It wassomewhat disappointing, therefore, when he had finished to hear fromCabrera the unmoved declaration: "A Cristino is a Cristino whether inthe palace of Madrid or on the mountains of Morella. And the quickestway is the best way with such an one, wherever met with!"

  "But you do not mean to say that you would shoot the girl-Queen or themother-Regent if they fell into your hands?" cried Rollo, aghast at thehorror.

  The deep underlying anger leaped up fiery red into the eyes of the_guerrilla_ chief.

  "Aye, that would I," he cried, "as quickly as they slew my own oldmother in the barrack yard of Tortosa!"

  And thinking of that tragedy and the guilt of Nogueras, Rollo felt therewas something to be said for the indomitable, implacable littlebutcher-general of Don Carlos.

  Cabrera was silent for a while after making this speech, and thenabruptly demanded of Rollo how many men he would require for hisundertaking.

  "I am bidden to place my entire command at your service," he said withobvious reluctance, glancing out of his little oblique eyes at the youngcolonel.

  Rollo considered a while before answering.

  "It is my opinion that the fewer men concerned in such a venture thegreater the chances of success," he said at last; "furnish me with onepetty officer intimately acquainted with the country between Zaragozaand San Ildefonso, and I will ask no more."

  Cabrera drew a long breath and looked at the young man with infinitelymore approval than he had before manifested.

  "You are right," he said, "three times right! If you fail, there arefewer to go to the gallows. In prison fewer ill-sewn wine-skins to leakinformation. If you succeed, there are also fewer to divide the creditand the reward. For my own part, I do not think you will succeed, but Iwill provide you with the best man in my command for your purpose and inaddition heartily wish you well out of your adventure!"

  Cabrera was indeed immensely relieved to find the desires of our hero somoderate. He had been directed to supply him with whatever force herequired, and he expected to be deprived of a regiment at least, at amost critical time in the affairs of the Absolute King.

  "Young man," he said, "you will certainly be shot or hanged before youare a month older. Nevertheless in the mean time I would desire to havethe honour of shaking you by the hand. If you were not to die so soon,undoubtedly you would go far! It is a pity. And the Cristinos are badshots. They will not do the job half as creditably as my fellows wouldhave done it for you this morning!"

  The man who was chosen by Cabrera to accompany them on their mission wasof a most remarkable appearance. Tall, almost as tall as El Sarria, hewas yet distinguished from his fellows by a notable gauntness andangularity of figure.

  "A step-ladder with the bottom bars missing!" was Rollo's mentaldescription of him, as he stood before them in a uniform jacket much tootight for him, through which his ribs showed not unlike the spars of aladder.

  But in other respects Sergeant Cardono was a remarkable man. The irongravity of his countenance, seamed on the right-hand side by a deepscar, took no new expression when he found himself detailed by hisgeneral for this new and dangerous mission.

  With a single salute he fell out and instantly attached himself toRollo, whom he relieved of his knapsack and waterbottle on the spot.Sergeant Cardono paid no attention whatever to the other three, whom heevidently regarded as very subordinate members of the expedition.

  As soon as they arrived at the village where they were to part from thecommand of Cabrera, Sergeant Cardono promptly disappeared. He was notseen for several hours, during which Rollo and El Sarria wandered hereand there endeavouring in that poor place to pick up some sustenancewhich would serve them in lieu of a dinner. They had but poor success. Around of black bread, a fowl of amazing age, vitality, and musculardevelopment, with a few snails, were all that they could obtain by theirbest persuasions, aided by the money with which Rollo was plentifullysupplied. John Mortimer looked disconsolately on. He had added a littleham on his own account, which last he had brought in his saddle-bagsfrom the venta of Sarria. But everything pointed to a sparse meal, andeven the philosophic Etienne shrugged his shoulders and departed toprospect at a certain house half a mile up the road wher
e, as they hadridden rapidly by, a couple of pretty girls had looked out curiously atthe tossing Carlist _boinas_.

  Rollo and El Sarria were carrying their scanty provend to a house wherea decent-looking woman had agreed to cook it for them, when their gloomyreveries were interrupted by a sudden apparition which burst upon themas they stood on the crest of a deep hollow.

  The limestone hills had been rent asunder at the place, and from thebare faces of the rocks the neighbouring farmers and villagers hadquarried and carried away such of the overhanging blocks as could easilybe trimmed to suit their purposes.

  Part of what remained had been shaped into a _hornito_, or stone oven,under which a fire had been kindled, and a strange figure moved about,stirring the glowing charcoal with a long bar of iron. On a smallerhearth nearer at hand a second fire blazed, and the smell of fragrantcookery rose to the expectant and envious nostrils of the four.

  It was Sergeant Cardono, who moved about whistling softly, now attendingto the steaming _olla_, now watching the rising bread in the _hornito_.

  Perceiving Rollo, he saluted gravely and remarked, "Dinner will beserved in half an hour." The others, as before, he simply ignored. Butin deference to his new commander he stopped whistling and moved aboutwith his lean shoulders squared as if on parade.

  When the bread and the skinny chicken were placed in his hands, heglanced at them with somewhat of superciliousness.

  "The bread will serve for crumbs," he said, and immediately began tograte the baton-like loaf with a farrier's hoof-rasp which he used inhis culinary operations. "But this," he added, as he turned over thebird, "is well stricken in years, and had better be given to therecruits. They have young teeth and have had practice upon deadartillery mules!"

  So saying, he went casually to the edge of the little quarry, whistled apeculiar note and tossed the bird downward to some person unseen, whoappeared from nowhere in particular for the purpose of receiving it.

  When the dinner was ready Sergeant Cardono announced it to Rollo as ifhe had been serving a prince. And what was the young man's astonishmentto find a table, covered with a decent white cloth, under the shelter ofa limestone rock, spread for three, and complete even to table napkins,which the sergeant had tied into various curious shapes.

  As they filed down the slope the sergeant stood at attention, but whenEl Sarria passed he quickly beckoned him aside with a private gesture.

  "You and I will eat after the foreigners," he explained.

  El Sarria drew himself up somewhat proudly, but Sergeant Cardonowhispered in his ear two or three words which appeared to astonish himso much that he did as he was bid, and stood aside while John Mortimerand Etienne de Saint Pierre seated themselves.

  But Rollo, who had no great love for eating, and considered one man justas much entitled to respect as another, would not sit down till ElSarria was accommodated also.

  "May it please your Excellency, Don Ramon and I have much to say to eachother," quoth the Sergeant, with great respect, "besides your honour isaware--the garlic--the onions--we of this country love them?"

  "But so do I," cried Rollo, "and I will not have distinctions made onthis expedition. We are all to risk our lives equally and we shall allfare equally, and if we are caught our dose of lead or halter-hemp willbe just the same."

  Here El Sarria interrupted.

  "With respect," he said, "it is true that this gentleman hath someprivate matters to communicate to me which have nothing to do with theobject of our mission. I crave your permission that for to-day I maydine apart with him!"

  After this there was no more to be said. El Sarria helped the sergeantto serve the meal, which was at once the proof of his foraging abilityand his consummate genius as a cook. For though the day was Friday, thesoup was very far from _maigre_. The stew contained both lamb and freshpork cut into generous cubes with a sufficiency of savoury fat included.A sausage had been sliced small for seasoning and the whole had been sosmothered in _garbanzos_, haricot beans, rice, mixed with strips oftoothsome salt fish, that John Mortimer bent and said a well-deservedblessing over the viands.

  "I don't usually in this country," he explained, "but really this iswhat my good old father would call a manifest providence. That fellow ofours will prove a treasure."

  "It seems so," said Rollo, a little grimly, "that is, if he can scoutand fight as well as he can cater and cook."

  For himself the young Scot cared little what he ate, and would havedined quite cheerfully on dry bread and water, if any one would havelistened to his stories of the wonders of his past life or the yet morewonderful achievements of his future. He would have sat and spun yarnsconcerning the notches on Killiecrankie at a dyke-back, though he hadnot tasted food for twenty-four hours, with the utmost composure andrelish. But his companions were of another kidney, being all valianttrencher-men--John Mortimer desiring chiefly quantity in his eating,while Etienne, no mean cook himself, desiderated rather variety anddelicacy in the dishes which were set before him.

  At all events the dinner was a great success, though the Sergeant, whoevinced the greatest partiality for Rollo, often reproached him witheating little, or inquired anxiously if the sauce of a certain dishwere not to his taste. Rollo, in the height of his argument, wouldhastily affirm that it was delicious, and be off again in chase of somedeed of arms or daring, leaving the Sergeant's _chef-d'oeuvre_untasted on his plate.

  At this the Sergeant shook his head in private to El Sarria.

  "It will stand in his way, I fear me," he said sententiously; "was thereever a notable general yet who had not a fine belly to wag before himupon horseback? 'Tis as necessary as the cock's feathers in his hat. Nowthere is your cut-and-thrust officer who is good for nothing but to befirst in charges and to lead forlorn hopes--this colonel of yours isjust the figure for him. I have seen many a dozen of them get the leadbetween their ribs and never regretted it before. But it is a devil'spity that this young cockerel is not fonder of his dinner. How regardethhe the women?"

  This last question was asked anxiously, yet with some hope. But thisalso El Sarria promptly scattered to the winds.

  "I do not think that he regards them at all! He has scarcely looked atone of them ever since I first knew him."

  Sergeant Cardono groaned, seemingly greatly perturbed in spirit.

  "I feared as much," he said, shaking his head; "he hath not the rightwandering eye. Now, that young Frenchman is a devil untamed! And theEnglishman--well, though he is deeper, he also hath it in him. But thecolonel is all for fighting and his duty. It is easy to see that he willrise but little higher. When was there ever a great soldier without aweakness for a pretty woman and a good dinner? Why, the thing isagainst nature. Now, my father fought in the War of the Independence,and the tales that he told of El Gran' Lor'--he was a soldier if youlike, worthy of the white plumes! A cook all to himself closer at hiselbow than an aide-de-camp--and as to the women--ah----!"

  Sergeant Cardono nodded as one who could tell tales and he would. Yetthe Sergeant Cardono found some reason to change his mind as to Rollo'squalifications for field-officership before the end of their first dayapart from Cabrera.

  It was indeed with a feeling of intense relief that the little companyof five men separated from the white and red _boinas_ of thebutcher-general's cavalcade. Well-affected to them as Cabrera might befor the time being, his favour was so brief and uncertain, his affectionso tiger-like, that even Sergeant Cardono sighed a sigh of satisfactionwhen they turned their horses' heads towards the far-away Guadarramabeyond which lay the goal of their adventuring.

  Presently the tongues of the little cavalcade were unloosed. El Sarriaand Sergeant Cardono having found subjects of common interest, communedtogether apart like old friends. John Mortimer and Etienne, whogenerally had little to say to each other, conversed freely uponwine-growing and the possibility of introducing cotton-spinning into theSouth of France. For Etienne was not destitute of a certain Gascon eyeto the main chance.

  Rollo alone rode gloomily a
part. He was turning over the terms of hiscommission in his mind, and the more he thought, the less was hesatisfied. It was not alone the desperateness of the venture thatdaunted Rollo, but the difficulty of providing for the Queen-Regent andlittle princess when captured. There were a couple of hundred miles toride back to those northern fastnesses where they would be safe; for themost part without cover and through country swarming with Nationals andCristino partisans.

  Riding thus in deep meditation, Rollo, whose gaze was usually so alert,did not observe away to the right a couple of horses ridden at speed andrapidly overtaking their more tired beasts.

  El Sarria, however, did not fail to note them, but, fearing a belatedmessage of recall from General Cabrera, he did not communicate hisdiscovery to his companions, contenting himself with keeping his eyeupon the approaching riders.

  Rollo was therefore still advancing, his reins flung loosely upon hisbeast's neck and his whole attitude betokening a melancholy resignation,a couple of lengths before his companions, when a sudden clattering ofhoofs startled him. He looked up, and there, on her white mare,well-lathered at girth and bridle, was little Concha Cabezos, sittingher panting beast with the grace of the true Andaluse.

  Her hair was a little ruffled by the wind. Her cheeks and lips wereadorably red. There was a new and brilliant light in her eye; and afterone curiously comprehensive glance at the company, she turned about tolook for her companion, La Giralda, who presently cantered up on alumbering Estramenian gelding. La Giralda sat astride as before, herlower limbs, so far as these were apparent, being closely clad inleather, a loose skirt over them preserving in part the appearance ofsex.

  Rollo was dumb with sheer astonishment. He could only gaze at theflushed cheek, the tingling electric glances, the air completelyunconscious and innocent of the girl before him.

  "Concha!" he cried aloud. "Concha--what do you here? I thought--Iimagined you were safe at the Convent of the Holy Innocents!"

  And from behind Sergeant Cardono marked his cheek, alternately palingand reddening, his stammering tongue and altered demeanour, with theutmost satisfaction.

  "Good--good," he muttered under his breath to El Sarria; "he will make atrue general yet. The saints be praised for this weakness! If only hewere fonder of his dinner all might yet be well!"